The Best Kids Menus in Anaheim & Orange County

Posted

April 13, 2017

Author: Melodi Steinberg

While there is an endless list of restaurants that offer an amazing variety of choices, it is often difficult to find a place with the right balance of options for kids. Fortunately, kids menus have evolved to more than just your typical mac and cheese or chicken nuggets. From Cafe’s to pizza joints to Teppan, here are the best Kids Menus in Anaheim and Orange County.

With a philosophy that puts fresh food first, this chef-led restaurant with a French flair is guaranteed to add a little more joie to your vivre. Kids can choose from puppy dog griddle cakes or a more sophisticated choice such as the ham and cheese crepes.

The Cheesecake Factory is known is for its expansive menu and delicious food. With nearly 12 choices on the kid’s menu, there should be no problem trying to find something that will please your little one’s palate. The menu is designed for kids 10 and younger and each entrée is served with your choice of soft drink, milk, apple juice or lemonade. Try something new and get the grilled salmon.

Sit, stay & play at this casual dog themed restaurant. Everything about The Lazy Dog Cafe is playful from the red fire hydrant you see on the way in, to the tiny dog bone-shaped mints you grab from the hostess desk on the way out. The kid’s menu here stands out from the rest because the menu is broken down into age groups. Kids eight and under can choose from chicken nuggets, macaroni & cheese and pizza while kids 12 and under can choose from a bigger selection like Hamburgers, chicken teriyaki & steamed rice, all-beef hotdogs and fettuccine alfredo.

Tip: Ask for a Licorice & Fruit Loop Dog Collar when you are seated. It will keep the kids busy while they are waiting for their food.

If you like seafood and trivia, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is the place to be! Your waiters will randomly ask you questions about the movie, and if you prepare ahead of time you might even be able to stump them! Kids love Bubba Gump’s because they have coloring pages and crayons. Adults love Bubba Gumps because several of the kids items are part of the Kids LiveWell program. They have been verified by the National Restaurant Association and Healthy Dining to meet specific nutritional criteria established by leading health organizations’ scientific guidelines.

Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ has an impressive selection for children with everything from your standard burgers, grilled cheese and pasta with butter (no parsley!) to juicy tri-tip and finger licken’ BBQ ribs. All meals include your choice of milk, apple juice or a bottomless soft drink and your choice of macaroni & cheese, watermelon, jr. salad, shoestring fries, sliced carrots with ranch, or sliced tomatoes. There is even half pint smoothies on the menu and the dessert choices will make the whole family do cartwheels.

This hipster Pizza Parlor is about as far from Chucky Cheese as it gets. While Mom and Dad happily sip artisan cocktails and munch on pizza, the bambinos will be won over by the complimentary modeling clay instead of crayons, which is pretty awesome! Choose from a variety of generously sized pizzas, pastas like spaghetti and meatballs and creamy mac and cheese. And where else can you find a speakeasy in the back of a restaurant?

What’s not to love about dinner and a show? The teppan chefs at Benihana are very talented and entertaining to watch. Benihana offers Kabuki Kids just for kids 12 and younger. Entrées are served with Japanese onion soup or Benihana salad, shrimp appetizer, vegetables (corn, zucchini and onion), steamed rice and ice cream. You can also get a side order of white noodles or edamame. Don’t forget to watch your kid's face when they see the onion volcano with real flames!

Enjoy a fun-filled breakfast or dinner with some beloved Disney friends at the Disneyland Hotel. Open for lunch and dinner, both buffets cook up a ton of fun and serve a range of American fare. You never know who will drop by ... but you know it’ll be a blast! Characters come around to each table and pose for pictures and interact with children. So strike a pose, join in on the dancing and don’t forget to get an autograph. Your children will be smiling for days!

Whoever said playing with your food was wrong, certainly hasn’t been to Stacked. Everything on the menu is customizable even down to the kids menu. Your kids want a different type of cheese on their grilled cheese? No problem. Plus all kids get Wikki stix to play with while they wait for their food. Portions are big and appetites are always satisfied at Stacked.